The 100 Men Blog

Program: To provide programming, services, and activities that support the prevention of violence as well as the protection and care of victims of violence.

Total Award: $23,987.22 – Awarded February 12, 2016

A Better Way’s mission is to bring peace to homes, strength to individuals and families, and positive impact to community through prevention and crisis intervention.

2. Muncie Unity Center

The Muncie Unity Center’s mission is to unify the Muncie community by enhancing quality of life for all of its residents in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment with cultural, educational, recreational, spiritual experiences and development of life skills, values, health and well-being.

Program: Reduce Gun Violence

The project is aimed at increasing the awareness of community gun violence and seeks to empower youth to their ability as individuals to combat violence in their community. The project’s objective is to create a safe haven and hub for the prevention of gun violence in the Muncie community. It is expected that 1,000+ youths will participate in the program.

Total Award: $5,000 – Awarded February 12, 2016

3. Ball State University Center for Peace and Conflict Studies

Organization’s Mission Statement: Founded in 1988 and guided by a 19‐person interdisciplinary Board, the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies conducts research and implements programs worldwide to address and prevent various forms of structural and direct violence and conflict, and promotes nonviolent strategies (e.g., mediation; meditation) to resolve conflict in the community and at the university The Center hosts a number of organizations including the Muncie Interfaith Fellowship and the BSU Social Justice League and coordinates an undergraduate minor at peace studies at Ball State.

Program: Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Conference: Peace it Troubled Times

This is a two-day conference to be held in Muncie and featuring panel, paper, and poster
presentations. Conference speakers will present on subjects such as religious intolerance
and/or conflict; community peacebuilding; structural violence relative to race, gender,
sexuality, class, and religion; justice and reconciliation; race relations; international
peacemaking and peacebuilding; preventing school and university violence; domestic
violence; poverty; law enforcement and persons of color; environmental preservation; and
human rights. The strategies, research, policies, and recommendations presented and
discussed at the conference related to peacemaking and peacebuilding will serve to explore
and strengthen the bridge between activism, teaching, and research.

Total Award: $3,000 – Awarded: February 26, 2016

4. BY5 Early Childhood Initiative

BY5 is the leading is the leading organization for early childhood awareness in Muncie and Delaware Co., Indiana. Through of variety of task forces and volunteer efforts, we improve opportunities for children ages 0-5 to reach their full developmental potential.

Program: Strengthening Families Program

Strengthening Families is a 14 week family skills training intervention program aimed at strengthening parenting and family functioning. This program will be piloted at Southview Elementary with the hope of eventually having multiple programs throughout our county in high needs areas.

Total Award: $6,380.00 – Awarded: March 9, 2016

5. Southside Middle School Panther Pantry

The Panther Pantry provides weekend food assistance to students in need. It also provides clothing, coats, shoes and personal items to students. The pantry started in November of 2015 and fed 3 students the first weekend. Now they are serving 40. Our award will provide funds for a commercial refrigerator, commercial freezer, shelving and new washer and dryer to clean donated clothes. Through a new partnership with Second Harvest food bank, the Panther Pantry will now be providing monthly food assistance to Southside families also. Muncie Community schools hope to replicate this project is other area schools.

Total Award: $5,078.16 – Awarded: March 8, 2016

6. Southside Middle School Panther Café

The Panther Café is a bi-weekly program for Special Education students that teaches students important life skills. The café gives them a “real world” experience, where they learn how to plan, follow directions, add money, count money, make change and practice skills they will need in the future. The café has been a source of pride for students who have struggled to maintain behaviors and succeed in the classroom in the past. These students has seen a huge decrease in problem behaviors and a remarkable increase in classroom grades. Our award will allow them to purchase a new refrigerator, stove and dishwasher as well of small smaller kitchen items.

Total Award: $1,338.62 – Awarded: March 8, 2016

7. Muncie Black Expo – Teen Empowerment Summit

The Muncie Black Expo will host a Teen Empowerment Summit: “A Call to Nonviolence”. The free Teen Empowerment Summit will educate empower, and aid youth in the prevention of direct violence, conflict resolution, mediation, as well as to teach nonviolent strategies for conflict resolution between youth, with an emphasis being on African American youth within the urban community.

Total Award: $5,000 – Awarded: April 26, 2016

8. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware County – Mentoring Program

This award will cover the expenses of 20 people (10 matches) in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware County Mentoring Program. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ one-to-one mentoring program is proven by independent studies to help communities by improving the odds that children will perform better in school, avoid violence and risky behaviors, and have stronger relationships with their parents and others.

Total Award: $8,980 – Awarded: April 26, 2016

9. Inside Out Community Development – Fresh Directions – Hot Meals for Kids

Inside Out Community Development’s mission is to empower vulnerable people at our community’s core. The Fresh Directions – Hot Meals for Kids program teams with community organizations that serve a vulnerable demographic to provide food insecure individuals with nutritious meals and wholesome snacks. The Champions for a Safe Community award of $6,000 will enable them to feed 100 children for one month this summer.

Total Award: $6,000 – Awarded: April 26, 2016

10. The Muncie Action Plan – Facing Racism

Facing Racism is a project that will explore the impacts of racism and the meaning of race in peoples’ lives. Engaging with the personal stories and evocative theater performances as well as dialogue, they will explore both negative and positive aspects of race. Stories and programs will expose the harmful nature of structural or institutional racism, and reveal the ways in which our community can triumph over ignorance and best address issues of race. Facing Racism will educate, inform, and encourage ongoing dialogue to mobilize community action. The project expects to impact at least 2000 people. Champions for a Safe Community award of $7,500 will provide 50% of their funding.

Total Award: $7,500 – Awarded: April 26, 2016

11. Teamwork for Quality Living – Additional Programing

Teamwork for Quality Living’s mission it to empower people in poverty toward self-sufficiency. A $2,500 award from Champions for a Safe Community will allow them to provide additional programing for the children of the families they serve. This programming will help children build confidence, character, control and integrity.

Total Award: $2,500 – Awarded: April 26, 2016

12. Unity Center – Gun Violence Prevention Blitz

Unity Center’s Gun Violence Prevention Blitz is being given a second award of $5,000 towards their ongoing program. Unity Center is striving to raise awareness about gun violence in our community through billboards, radio spots and television appearances. Future plans include a Community Awareness Day and monthly speakers.

Total Award: $5,000 – Awarded: April 26, 2016

13. Harvest Soup Kitchen

The Harvest Soup Kitchen is promoting safety and healthy eating in the community by encouraging their clients to eat their hot meals in the gathering area of the soup kitchen building. We have been working on making the soup kitchen a welcoming and safe space. Loretta Parsons, the Executive Director, has overseen implementation of a number of initiatives many of which have been funded by grant money. We have upgraded the lighting in our facilities, installed better quality windows, upgraded appliances in our kitchen area including refrigerators, freezers and ovens and have installed some decorative touches in the gathering area including curtains and murals.

Total Award: $3,000 for the purchase of new tables and chairs ($2,400) and compostable trays ($600)

14. Whitely Community Freestanding Food Pantry and Grocery Store

The Whitely Community Council (WCC) is seeking funding for the creation of a freestanding grocery store/food pantry in the Whitely neighborhood. Due to the closing of local grocery stores, the Whitely neighborhood and its surrounding area have become a “food desert” where residents lack access to high quality nourishment for their families.

Total Award: $6,000 for the purchase of equipment necessary for start-up of the project (Cooler/Freezer/Shelving etc.).

15. Boys & Girls Club of Muncie

The Youth Opportunity Boot Camp will prepare teens to thrive as engaged leaders through a weeklong intensive leadership development course. As a result, participants will be empowered to service as peer leaders; lead projects and advocate for causes; plan, facilitate and communicate with groups of people; ad speak, advocate, communicate and use social media in a professional and effective manner.

Total Award: $3,500 for the implementation of this program.

Thanks to our Sponsors:

100 Men Who Cook is made possible by help from our Community Partner organizations:

Angela Beck

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